Donna Key of Gadsden e-mailed recently to report on visits that she and her husband have enjoyed "for several years" at Magnolia Springs Bed and Breakfast.

"We have never been disappointed, and each time seems better than the last," she wrote, explaining that innkeepers "David (Worthington) and Eric (Bigelow) have restored the 100-year-old house and keep it in top-notch condition, updating the rooms with the latest amenities like flat screen TVs and modern plumbing fixtures.

The town, she wrote, is "extremely picturesque with streets lined with live oaks and the Magnolia River a block from the house. It evokes memories of my childhood summers spent in Summerville, S.C. (near Charleston)."

While Magnolia Springs and its namesake bed and breakfast entice her, it was a recent breakfast there that prompted her note.

"The breakfast brunch is definitely a favorite because of David's culinary skills and the generous portions," she noted.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix pancake mix, milk, eggs and vanilla.
Set aside.
Spray oval individual casserole dishes and place 1 tablespoon butter in each. Place dishes in oven at 425 degrees for 4 minutes. Remove dishes from oven and add one layer of sliced apples (5 to 6 slices). Return apple-lined dishes to oven for 5 minutes.
Add ½ cup pancake batter and sprinkle liberally with brown sugar.
Return dishes to oven for 20 minutes.
(Note: When pancake batter has cooked, set aside any portion that you intend to freeze. Allow to cool. Freeze in original individual casserole dishes. Don't remove pancakes from their baking dish. Top these only before serving.)
For all servings to be used:
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (Use a sifter for just a light coating).
Top with caramel sauce in a zigzag pattern.
Top with a dollop of sour cream sweetened with 2 packets artificial sweetener.
Serving suggestions: Serve with syrup on the table, "but most guests don't need it as the dish is wonderful without it."
Serves 6.

"The latest addition to his menu is the apple pancake," she wrote, describing the pancakes as "light and fluffy."

"The cinnamon flavor enhances the fresh apple taste," she explained before ending with a request for the recipe.

Asked for his recipe, owner David Worthington, who prepares breakfasts for the inn's guests, agreed to share.

The formula, he noted, "came from another innkeeper who shared the recipe with me -- and I fell in love with it."

For those preparing the dish at home, David suggested doubling the recipe and freezing any unused portion.

"On the servings you freeze," he instructed, "leave off the powdered sugar, caramel sauce and sweetened sour cream, then freeze them."

When later using the frozen portion, thaw the mixture overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, place servings in a toaster oven or regular oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Before serving, top the heated pancakes with the remaining three items.

Follow his suggestion, and you will "wow your guests -- and you won't be in the kitchen all morning," he predicted, suggesting that the pancakes go well with hash-brown casserole, grits and bacon.

"I serve it any time I have guests who like bread dishes, who enjoy a sweet breakfast, who don't like eggs, or for someone who has been here for days and wants something other than an egg casserole," Worthington reported.

He does, however, offer one warning: "I do not recommend this for people with sugar issues."

Operated in the¤'20s and¤'30s as the Sunnyside Hotel, Magnolia Springs Bed and Breakfast is just off U.S. Highway 98 between Gulf Shores and Point Clear.

Is there some special dish that you've tasted in a Birmingham-area restaurant that you'd like to try to duplicate? Send your request to: Food Detective, The Birmingham News, P.O. Box 2553, Birmingham, AL 35202; fax Food Detective, 325-2494 or e-mail LGFullman@aol.com.